Compartment light and switch



Feb. 14, 1956 H. v. ELLIOTT ET AL COMPARTMENT LIGHT AND SWITCH Filed July 26, 1954 INVENTOR. Hmaou: V fLuo TT y MALI/1M5. BROWN e 1.0 F EOWN ATTOB NE Y United States Patent COMPARTMENT LIGHT AND SWITCH Harold V. Elliott, William E. Brown, and Harold F. Brown, Anderson, Ind., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 26, 1954, Serial No. 445,595

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-7.'1)

This invention relates to compartment lights and more particularly to an improved light holder and switch therefor that is adapted for use in a wall of a glove compartment of a vehicle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switch and light unit for use in a compartment that has an opening which may be closed by a door wherein the unit is constructed and arranged for illuminating both the interior of the compartment and an area outside of the door opening when the door of the compartment is open and wherein the operation of said switch is controlled by an actuator that is carried solely by the holder and is responsive to the position of the door.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a light and switch assembly unit that is adapted to be mounted in a wall of a compartment that has an opening closable by a door wherein the assembly is provided with a surface that is adapted to illuminate the interior of said compartment and the area surrounding said opening when a bulb as carried by said assembly is properly positioned relative to said surface and the door of said compartment is in the open position and wherein the assembly includes a movable contact and actuator therefor that is responsive to the location of the door for breaking the connection between the contact and a terminal of the bulb when the door is in the closed position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lamp holder for use in conjunction with a compartment that has an opening closable by a door wherein the holder is of simple construction and may be readily installed in a wall of the compartment where it will support and protect the bulb of the lamp from damage and provide for the proper illumination eflect to the bulb. This object is accomplished by providing a dished receptacle that is mounted by means of a peripheral flange in a wall of the compartment in a position proximate the door opening so that a switch which includes a bifurcated element which is carried by the holder in spaced relation to the bulb may be contacted by the door and break the circuit to the lamp whenever the door is opened so the receptacle will reflect the light from the bulb within the compartment and illuminate the area surrounding the compartment opening.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a compartment lamp assembly according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the compartment lamp assembly in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along line 3--3 in Figure 2 and diagrammatically showing a door for a compartment in an open position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along line 3--3 in Figure 2 2,734,992 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 diagrammatically showing the door in Figure 3 in a closed position.

Figure 5 is a view partly in section showing the actuating arm taken in the direction of arrow 5 in Figure 4.

In the drawings the numeral 20 designates a lamp and switch holder which comprises a dished support 22 with a peripheral'flange 24 formed to be suitably secured in an opening in a wall of a glove compartment of the instrument panel 28 of a motor vehicle, as partially shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. A recess 30, in dished support 22, has a substantially flat bottom surface 32, and a rounded end surface 34 which is concave in shape and blends into the bottom surface 32 from the peripheral flange 24. The recess 30 also has side walls 36 and an end wall 38 disposed substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface 32 so that the various other parts of the switch when included within the recess will be protected from injury. A socket hanger 40 has ears 42 which will secure the hanger 40 in the recess 30 when the ears 42 are suitably bent in place. This socket hanger maintains a lamp socket 44 for a lamp 45 in position within the recess 30 so that the bulb portion 46 of the lamp 45 will be located proximate the concave surface 34 which will reflect the illuminating rays of the bulb portion 46 backwardly into the interior of the compartment and will permit the direct rays of the bulb 46 to pass through an opening in the compartment closable by door 48. A movable contact 50 is located to engage the center terminal of lamp 45 when the door 48 has permitted an actuating member to be hereinafter described to move to the right as in Figures 3 and 4. The movable contact 50 is suitably formed on the end of a wire 51 which is: passed through and carried by a sleeve 52 of insulating material. A spring 54 has one end seated on the rear wall 38 and the other end resting against the sleeve 52. Thus the contact 50 is constantly urged into engagement with the terminal 53 of the lamp 45. The actuating member 55 has one end 56 bifurcated and bent to embrace the socket hanger 40 and pass between the lamp 45 and the surfaces 32 and 34 of recess 30 so that it will not obstruct the rays of the light from the bulb 46. This bifurcated end 56 is secured to arms of flange 57 of the insulating sleeve 52 of the movable contact as with rivets 58 so that the movement of the actuating member 55 will be transmitted to contact 50 for making and breaking a circuit between the contact 50 and center terminal 53. The end 60 of the actuating member 55 is carried by a hanger portion 62 integrally formed on the peripheral flange 24 of the switch and lamp holder 20. End 60 preferably has a cap- 64 of rubber-like material which insulates the actuating member 55 from the door 48 and is disposed to cause the contact 50 to break its engagement with the terminal 53 when door 48 is in a closed position, as in Figure 4, and when the door is opened, as in Figure 3, the actuating member 55 as moved by spring 54 will permit the movable contact 50 to engage terminal 53 to complete an electric circuit which includes wire 51, contact 50, terminal 53, the filaments of the bulb, not shown, socket hanger 40, support 22 and the instrument panel 28 which is suitably connected in the usual manner to the ground of the vehicle.

It is manifest that if spring 54 is of the proper strength, it will also permit the actuating member 55 to act as an anti-rattle device for the door and further when the switch and lamp holder 20 is installed in the glove compartment of an automotive vehicle, the light as directed by holder 20 will not only illuminate the interior of the glove compartment but will also illuminate the area exterior to the compartment so that maps and other items may be readily seen.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A switch and lamp holder for use in a compartment having an opening closable by a door, comprising; a support having; aperipheral flange that is adapted to engage portions of a wall surrounding an opening in one of'the walls of said compartment, a recessed portion surrounded by said peripheral flange having; a bottom surface, a concave surface forming the side walls on one end, and a substantially rectangularly disposed wall forming the sides of the other end, a socket electrically connected to said bottom disposed for positioning the base of an incandescent lamp so the bulb portion thereof is proximate said concave surface, a movable contact insulated from and carried by said support adapted to engage a terminal on said bulb for making electrical contact therewith when the door of said compartment is open, a spring between said support and contact for normally urging said contact into engagement with the terminal of said bulb, and a contact actuator having one end thereof bifurcated and carried by said contact, the bifurcations passing on either sideof the socket and bulb and the other end carried by a guide disposed adjacent the concave surface end of said support and extending beyond said flange thereof whereby said actuator is moved, when said extending end is contacted by the door of said compartment when said door is moved to a closing position, out of engagement with said terminal.

2. A switch and lamp holder for use in a compartment having an opening closable by a door comprising; a support adapted to be mounted in a wall of said compartment in a position proximate said door, a socket carried by'said support for receiving a base of a lamp, a movable contact carried by said support adapted for making electrical contact with a terminal of said lamp when said door is open and a contact actuator having a bifurcated end, the bifurcations passing on either side of said socket and lamp and adapted to move said contact and break the electrical contact between said movable contact and said terminal when said door is: closed, and means including a curved wall on said support disposed relative to said lamp for reflecting a portion of the illuminating effect thereof directly through said opening and the remaining portions of the illuminating effect. into the interior of said compartment when said door is open.

3. A switch and lamp holder for use in a compartment having an opening closable by a door, comprising; a support adapted to be mounted in an opening in a wall of said compartment in a location proximate said door, said support including; a flange formed on the periphery of said support adapted to engage portions of the Wall surrounding said wall opening, said flange surrounding, a shaped recess having a bottom, a concave surface forming the side walls in one end of saidrecess and a wall substantially perpendicular to said bottom forming an end wall on the end remote from said concave end surface, a socket attached to said bottom adapted to receive the base of an incandescent lamp bulb for maintainin g the lamp in position substantially in said recess and the bulb portion thereof proximate said concave surface, a movable contact insulated from and carried by the perpendicular wall of said support adapted to engage a terminal of said lamp for making electrical contact therewith when the door of said compartment is open, a spring between said perpendicular wall and contact for normally urging said contact into engagement with said terminal, and a contact actuator having a bifurcated end attached to said contact, the bifurcations passing on either side of the socket and bulb and the other end carried by a guide formed on the flange on the concaveend of said support, said second mentioned end of said actuator extending beyond said flange and adapted to be contactedv by the door of said compartment when the door is moved to a closed position for moving said actuator and contact out of engagement with said terminal.

References Cited in the file of this patent' UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,640,923 Cook Aug. 30, 1927 1,746,810 Anderson Feb. 11, 1930 2,106,145 Floraday Jan. 18, 1938, 2,144,745 Soreng Jan. 24, 1939 2,555,716 Todhunter June 5, 1951 

